Center drive take-off mower



Sept. 10, 1940.

J. S. CLAPPER CENTER DRIVE TAKE-OFF MOWBR Filed Aug. 29, 1938 5 Sheets-Sheet l ATv-nelvsvg' Sept. 10, 1940. J. 8. CLAPPER CENTER DRIVE TAKE-OFF MOWER Filed Aug. 29, 1938 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 M @2522: C9 @144 flux MM,

AT-roENE Y6 Sept. 10, 1940. J. 5. CLAPPE'R ,162,

CENTER DRIVE TAKE-OFF MOWER Filed Aug. 29, 1938 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Mwt Sept. 10, 1940. J. 5. CLAPPER CENTER DRIVE TAKE-OFF MOWER Filed Aug. 29, 1938 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 [Nl/ENT OE To/ 4y 6i CLAPPEE 0w: Mal/M Sept. 10,} 1940. J. 5. CLAPPER CENTER DRIVE TAKE-OFF MOWER Filed Aug. 29, 1938 5 Sheets-Sheet [NVEN-TOE Jo/1N6: CLAPPEE ATTOENE vs Patented Sept..10, 1940 PATENT OFFICE 2,214,162 cENTEa, muvn TAKE-OFF MOWER John S. Clapper, Minneapolis, Minn., assignor to Toro Manufacturing Corporation of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minn, a corporation of Minnesota Application August 29, 1938, Serial No. 227,329

10 Claims.

The present invention relates to motor driven .mowing machines of the type in which the sickle bar is carried by a traction vehicle and drivenfrom the same power source which serves to propel the vehicle.- Such power driven mowing machines are operated at relatively high speeds, as compared with horse drawn mowers, and the reserve driving power which is capable of main-- taining the speed' of 'the machine-under difiicult cutting conditions is much greater than the reserve power of animals.

These conditions combine greatly to enhance the cutting capacity of the machine as compared with horse drawn mowers but they also introduce the difiiculty that the cutting bar of the machine is more likely to be damaged when it hits a solid obstruction such as a boulder or stump. It is an object of the present invention to provide a mowing machine of the motor driven type in which provision is made for reducing the possibility of damage and breakage.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a motor driven mowing machine having a yieldingly mounted sickle bar. It is a specific object of the invention to provide a motor driven mowing machine having ,a sickle bar pivotally mounted about a vertical axis and yieldable means for maintaining the bar in cutting position.

It is also an object of the invention to provide a mowing machine in which the cutter bar ispivoted adjacent the pitman connection to the cutter knife.

In the use of the moving machine of the pres- ,ent invention the cutter bar yields when it hits an obstruction and while yielding permits a time vide ai'egulating .means by which the -cutting as shown in Figur level of the mower may be changed at will Other and further objects of the invention 50 are those inherent in the'apparatus described,

illustrated in the drawings in (Cl. 56 I the normal position and also -in the positionassumedwhen an obstruction is encountered.

Figure 2' is an enlarged fragmentary plan view, partly in section showing the mounting connections andoperating drive of the cutter bar.

Figure 3 is across-sectional view in elevation as viewed in the forward direction along the line 3-3 of Figure 2. I

Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view in elevation as viewed in the forward direction along the line 4-4 of Figure 2.

Figure 5 is a partial side view in elevation in the direction of arrows 55 of Figure 1.

Figure 6 is a fragmentary detail partly in section showing the yieldable pivotal cutter bar connection as viewed from the under side, in

the direction of arrows 6-45 of Figure 3.

Throughout the drawings like parts are indicated by the same numerals.

The mowing machine of the present invention comprises a traction vehicle generally designated l0, having a frame composed of side members II and 12, a front .axle I3 and a rear axle M. This traction vehicle is similar to an automobile .chassis except that the wheel base is somewhat less than ordinarily used for automotive purposes and e chassis is stripped of all except functidnal mechanisms. A motor'is provided at the forward end of the chassis and is housed in compartment l6 and serves to drive the vehicle and ing frame generally designated 22consisting of mounting bars 23 and 24 which are connected at one end by means of apair of spaced plates 25 and 26, as shown in Figure l. The plates are welded to the mounting bars and hold the bars in a V-shaped configuration as shown in Figure 1.

At the left end; of each of the bars 23 and '24, 1, 2 and 3, there is provided a clevis 28 and a clevis pin 29. The clevis pins of the two bars 23 and 24 are mounted in brackets 30 and 3| which are in turn. carried by a frame member 33. The latter is fastened to the vehicle side frame H by means of a channel 34 and angu'larbrace 35.

Figures 3 and 4, which are sectional views in mounting frame '22.

\ receives the mounting bracket generally designated 38, which comprises a tubular pivot secg tion .39 having an integrally formed flange 49 and a pair ofiangularly disposed clevis members r 42 and 43. As shown in Figure 6 clevis member 42/ha's an integrally formed extension 44 which is apertured to receive a compression bolt, asi hereinafter explained,- and clevis member 43 is providedwith a similar extension 45 which is apertured to receive a tension bolt. The lower ends of clevis members 42 and 43 are ,provided respectively with openings 46 and 41 which arealigned along a slightly inclined axis so as to give the mowing implement a slight downward tilt,

as shown in Figure 5. These openings receivef pivot pins 49 and 49 which receive the inner shoe member SI of the mowing implement.

Inthe assembled condition the upper 'end of the tubular pivot section 39 of the mounting bracket'38 extends above the tubular journal 31 and a collar 52 is attached to the protruding end and held in place by through bolt 53. This serves to prevent mounting bracket 38 from dropping out of the tubular journal when the V-shaped mounting frame 22 is elevated, as hereinafter explained.

While the mowing implement I8 is pivoted for movement about the vertical axis of the tubular journal 31 in mounting frame 22, movement is restrained by a yieldable spring mechanism, shown in Figure 6; Extending downwardly from bar 24 of frame 22 there is a lug 54 which is apertured at its lower end to receive the bolt generally designated 55. The bent end 56 of the bolt protrudes through the aperture in the extension 44 of the clevis member 42 and is held in place by a cotter pin '51. Bolt 55 is threaded throughout the major portion of its length and is provided with a pair of flanged collars 59 which are slidable on the bolt. The collars serve to position compression spring .69, the spring pressure being adjustable by a pair of nuts 6|. v Similarly on bar 23 there is provided a lug 63 which extends downwardly, as shown in Figure 4, and is apertured at 84 to receive a bolt generally designated 19. The bent end II of bolt 19 protrudes through aperture 64 and is retained 'in place by a cotter pin 12. At an intermediate portion of the bolt there is welded a collar 14 and the other end of the bolt is threaded, as shown at 15, to receive adjustment nuts 16. -Between the collar 14 and lug there is positioned a convex washer 11 which facilitates the seating i between the bolt 19 and lug 63. Between lock nuts 16 and lug 63 there are positioned a pair of slidably mounted flanged collars 18 which serve to position spring 19.

The mechanism for yieldably positioning the mowing machine as illustrater herein, andshown particularly in Figure 6, is adjusted by drawing down lock nuts BI and 16 until each of the springs 69 and 19 are placed under an initial compression. under normal conditions the mowing implement I8 is held in a position substantially transverse of the vehicle. When an obstruction is encountered the mowing instrument yields and assumes a rearward position such as that shown in the The adjustment is madeso that.

dotted line of Figure 1, and springs 69 and 19 are compressed to accommodate the change in position. When the obstruction is removed the springs force the mowing implement I8 t5 assume its normal position, as shown in the full lines in Fig. 1. The lug 63 is slightly twisted below the aperture 64 and is. provided with another opening which receives the clevised end 61 of radius rod 68. The rod 68 extends forwardly and is attached to the front axle by means of bracket 69 as. shown in Figure l.

The V-shaped frame may be supported from the ground by the bottom runner of shoe 5|,

partially suspended in operating condition by and a crank arm 99. The crank arm is connected to the' V-shaped mounting frame 22 by means of chain 9I and the detent quadrant cooperates with a'pawl 89 (see Figure 3). By

varying the position of the operating handle 86 the position of mounting frame 22 may be varied withrespect to the chassis of the vehicle and this in turn varies the position of-pivot pins 49 and 59 of the mowing implement I8. The adjustment is locked by means of pawl 89, or if shoe 5| is desired to rest upon and follow the undulations of the ground, pawl 89 can be tilted to the left until it rests by gravity out of engagement. I

The mowing implement is provided with a mechanism for pivotally lifting mowing implement I8, consisting of a bracket 93 and an operator controlled mechanism generally designated I99. Some of the weight of the mowing implement is carried by spring 96, which is connected to the frame 22 at bracket 91 and to the mowing implement bracket 93 by chain 95 and link 94. The chain 95 may be adjusted so that spring 96 is tensioned to almost lift the outer end of mowingimplement I8 by pivoting it upwardly I95, and the other end is provided with a crank The mechanism 82 includes a pivot shaft arm I 94 to which a cable I96 is attached by r means of connector plate I91. A pulley I98 is mounted on bar 24 of the V-shaped frame and the cable I96 passes thereunder and is connected to the upstanding bracket 93 of mowing implement I8. Beneath the crank portion I93 of the. operator controlled mechanism there is positioned a second treadle I 99 which is mounted intermediate its ends upon a pivot block H9. The treadle has a bent end III which is'positioned under the crank portion I93 for a p p se to be hereinafter explained.

When the mowing implement I 8 is in the raised position the crank I94 and the suspension linkages comprising cable I96 and I91 are moved to an over center position and are accordingly not self-returning. The mechanism is returned when the operator steps 'upon treadle I99 and forces the bent end I I upwardly so as to lift the crank The power drive-of the present mechanism is of'the type shown and claimed in my Patent 2,060,280 and consists of a drive pulley H which is mounted upon the drive shaft II2 of the ve- 8 hicle propelled mechanism. Upon the frame member 33 there is mounted, a bracket generally designated IIB which serves to rotatably support pulley II3 of the lower drive-apparatus. The pulleyis mounted upon a shaft I I4, upon one end of which is mounted a counter-weighted pitman wheel I I5.

- The bracket III; also serves to support a pivotally mounted arm III which carries an idler wheel H8. The position of the arm II! is controlled by a mechanism comprising an operatorcontrolled lever I which ispivoted to the channel 34'at point I 2|. The upper end of the'chane 'nel 34 carries a plate I22 which is onotched as shown in Figure 1, to receive the detent I23 of 20 operating lever I20. Beneath the detent I23 there is a link connection I25 which is pivoted toth operator lever at I26 and to the arm III at I21. A belt I30 is provided and is of such a length that the pulley-H8 must be depressed to the dotted line position I 3I (shown in Figure 3) in order sufilciently to tighten the belt to provide an effective drive betweenldriving pulley I1 and driven pulley II3.

Another effective method for operatingshaft 30 H4 is to .employ sprockets in place of, pulleys I1 and H3, and a chain in place of belt I30. A friction clutch on shaft II4 arranged to engage or disengage the sprocket thereon would re lace the belt tightening and loosening echanis The sickle I9 of the mowing plement I8 is provided with a ,ball Joint drivin -c'onnection as shown at I32 which is adjacent the axis of pivot pins 49 and 50 and also to the axis produced of tubular journal 31. A pitman rod I33 joins the 40 ball joints! 32 and the crank pin of the pitman wheel I I5 so that as'the pitman wheel is revolved the cutter bar I9 is oscillated backward and forward in the mowing implement.

The effect of the vertical pivotal connection of 5 tubular journal 31 and'nearly, horizontal pivotal connection through the axis of pivot pins 49 and 50 is to'provide a universal c'onnection of the mowing implement I8 with respect to'the V- shaped mounting frame 22 and hence with respect 50 to the vehicle. The universal movement is restrained by the yieldable spring mechanism shown in detail in Figure 6 so that the mowing implementis oniy able to move freely in an upright plane at right angles .to the axis of pivot pins, gglfiandil When the machine is placed in operation the operating lever I20 is moved toward the machine and power is accordingly transmitted from the rotating pulley through the driven pulley H3,

50 pitman. wheel II! and pitman rod I 33 and the sickle is reciprocated. The machine thus travels with the sickle reciprocating until ,the cuttirfg implement I3 strikes an obstruction such asaj boulder, or the like, at which time it moves backwardly to the dotted line position shown in Eig- 'ure 1. The time interval duringwhichthe cutting implement; is moving backwardly relative to'the machine is suflicient to allow the'operator to'throw the vehicleout of gear to st op its formowing implement is accomplished by a single stroke of the crank I03 and this may accordingly. be accomplished very rapidly. The mowing implement is not raised vertically and hence the cutter bar I9 may continue to reciprocate even 0 in the elevated position. The upward rotation of the cutting implement aboutthe axis of pivot pins 49 and 50 and the backward rotation about the axis of tubular journal 31 does not appreciably affect the connection between the pitman 10 rod I33 and the ball joint I32 of the reciprocating cutter bar since this connection is adjacent the two axes. Such slight deviation of: the reciprocatory'path of ball joint I 32 as will occur while the mowing implement I8 is backwardly deflected will be accomplished without binding in the pitman rod bearing I35,due to the vertically, disposed pin joint I 34 in the, pitman rod adjacent the bearing. Hence the cutting implement may be lifted and moved backwardly at the same time 20 under the influence of the obstruction encountered, all; without first interrupting the reciprocation of the cutter bar. This freedom of a operation enables the operator to concentrate upon moving the mowing implement so as to clear' the obstruction and upon stopping the vehicle.

Many obvious variations may be made in the apparatus herein described and claimed without departing from the spirit of the invention. N

I claim as my invention 1. A mowing maclnnemomprising a traction vehicle, an A-frame having its free ends pivoted to the vehicle for movement in a vertical plane and having the apex thereof extending beyond the side of said vehicle, a substantially upright pivot mounted on the extending apex of said A- frame, amowing iinplement mounted for movement about said pivot balance spring, means connecting the A-Erame and implement for yieldably retaining the \mowing implement in a position transversely of said traction vehicle, and means for raising and lowering said. A-frame.

2. A mowing machine comprising a tractor vehicle, an implement frame mounted on vehicle, a mowing implement, means for universally mounting said implement on the frame, balanced spring means connecting the frame and implement for yieldablyr restraining the movement of said implement to a. plane at right angles 50 to the gtraction vehicle, and suspension means .for maintaining saidumplement in said plane at a predetermined, angle with respect to the implement frame. v

3. A nfowingv machine comprisinga tractio'n a vehicle, an implement frame mounted on said vehiclIa mowing implement, means for universally mounting said implement on the frame, balanced spring means connecting the frame and the implement for yieldably restraining the movement of said implement to a plane at right angles to the traction, vehicle, spring suspension means for maintaining said implement in said "plane at an angle with respect to the implement frame,

'and operator controlled means for raising and w 

